Courtesy New York Edge
Middle school students from New York Edge recently visited Morgan Stanley’s Manhattan offices as part of a coding club at P.S. 78Q, where they learned programming and financial literacy with the help of Morgan Stanley volunteers.
MOHAMED FARGHALY
mfarghaly@queensledger.com
Middle school students from New York Edge, the city’s largest provider of school-based afterschool and summer programs, recently had the unique opportunity to visit Morgan Stanley’s Manhattan offices as part of a special coding club at P.S. 78Q, The Robert F. Wagner Jr. School. The initiative, which aimed to expose students to programming and financial literacy, was the culmination of a semester-long partnership between New York Edge and the financial services firm.
New York Edge’s mission is to bridge the opportunity gap for students in under-resourced communities by providing enriching afterschool and summer programs. The program at P.S. 78Q focused on introducing students to coding through tools like Scratch and imagiCharm, with Morgan Stanley employees volunteering their time to lead the lessons.
Danielle Federico, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator at New York Edge, described the program as an exciting opportunity for students to gain valuable skills in coding while also exploring career possibilities in finance.
“So, we had a program with Morgan Stanley with several middle school students from PS 78. ” said Federico. “The employees from Morgan Stanley were volunteers, and they have a curriculum that they brought to the school to help students learn the fundamentals of programming using tools like Scratch and imagiCharm. They partnered with us on this initiative, and we’re just grateful that they’re able to take the time out to empower our students and share their passion for coding.”
The program lasted six weeks, and Federico noted the high level of enthusiasm from students, many of whom chose the coding club over other extracurricular activities. “This school has a big STEM focus, and we had students who were so eager to be part of the coding club that they even gave up gym class to attend,” she said. “One parent even took her child out of band so she could be part of this opportunity, recognizing how valuable coding skills are for their future.”
Throughout the semester, students collaborated with Morgan Stanley volunteers, using laptops and learning software to develop their programming skills.
“The employees that came and volunteered really brought their knowledge to the school,” Federico explained. “The students were so excited to see them every week. It was a six-week program, and the students really lit up during it, walking away with the confidence knowing that they’ve gained such important skills in coding. This school specifically does have a pretty big STEM focus. So there were tons of students that were so excited to be part of the club.”
The culmination of the program was an end-of-semester celebration at Morgan Stanley’s office on 757 Fifth Avenue, where students got a taste of what it’s like to work in finance. One of the highlights of the celebration was a stock market simulation game, where students were given a set amount of money and tasked with making investment decisions. Morgan Stanley employees, acting as financial advisors, guided the students as they navigated the stock market, integrating their newly acquired coding knowledge with financial literacy.
Federico praised the event as an invaluable experience for the students.
“A lot of our students do have some knowledge of coding, but they don’t really have the technology at the school to really hone in on that,” she said. “So we were able to use laptops, and Morgan Stanley was able to bring in a message on which is kind of a fun way to learn coding, they were able to kind of donate that to our program to learn it, expose the students, hopefully build upon the skills they continue to use.”
Looking ahead, New York Edge is exploring the possibility of expanding the program.
“We’re definitely in a discussion with Morgan Stanley for at least extending it to this particular school,” Federico said. “Their curriculum is really great. We do have to kind of further figure out, just manpower-wise, if that could work for other schools, but that is the plan.”
New York Edge offers a range of afterschool and summer programs that cater to the diverse needs of students, including robotics, tech clubs, and career readiness initiatives. Federico emphasized that the goal is to provide students with a holistic education that goes beyond the traditional classroom.
“There are real costs to the families that we serve, and that includes robotics classes, step club, tech club, space, career and college leadership,” she said. “All of these programs are really customized to integrate the school day or the whole expanding beyond the afterschool lane, and they really serve a different board to life beyond the classroom and our in-school and out-of-school time. We really try to make it as seamless as possible. Our mission is to utilize this time to accelerate the students’ learning. Our afterschool programs offer the latitude to address a variety of subject matters that aren’t always covered during the school day. So, these programs and these opportunities that we have with Morgan Stanley kind of further expand that and just make it so much more exciting for our students to get into the offices of professionals, to really see themselves as professionals.”
For more information on New York Edge and its programs, visit www.newyorkedge.org.
The six-week program culminated in a celebration that included a stock market simulation, offering students a hands-on experience in both coding and finance.
